That Braun - always defiant in the face of doping allegations - folded so quickly hints at the impending storm about to roil the game and the choices his peers are facing.

If MLB determines Texas Rangers slugger Nelson Cruz had a relationship with Biogenesis and its founder, Tony Bosch, does he accept a suspension that foils his team's pennant hopes? Or does he fight it to the end and risk his impending free agency on a decision rendered by an arbitrator that could curtail his 2014 season?

Then there's Alex Rodriguez, fighting a personal war on two fronts: one against MLB, which has him in the Biogenesis cross hairs, and another against the New York Yankees, who have been less than effusive in their desire to see him return from hip surgery.

Braun had little to play for this year, but he might provide a map for the 20 or so players facing discipline.

Braun declined to answer questions when interviewed by MLB investigators June29 but requested a second meeting, a person close to Braun told USA TODAY Sports on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly. It was at the second conference, which took place last week after the All-Star break, that Braun agreed to the 65-game suspension, the person said.

As part of the deal, Braun issued an apology in MLB's statement, but he did not specifically confess to doping.

The case wasn't simple, but Braun wanted to end the fight, the person said. The Brewers, 41-56 entering Monday, have the second-worst record in the National League, and Braun has been battling injuries all season.

Now, beginning next season, he can have a new start.

"I am not perfect. I realize now that I have made some mistakes," Braun said in the statement. "I am willing to accept the consequences of those actions. This situation has taken a toll on me and my entire family, and it has been a distraction to my teammates and the Brewers organization. â?¦

"Finally, I wish to apologize to anyone I may have disappointed - all of the baseball fans, especially those in Milwaukee, the great Brewers organization and my teammates. I am glad to have this matter behind me once and for all, and I cannot wait to get back to the game I love."

And, of course, he can't wait to cash those fat paychecks. Braun still has $127million remaining on his contract with the Brewers. Fully guaranteed.

The folks really getting punished are Brewers owner Mark Attanasio and the rest of the organization who believed in him, giving him that five-year, $105million extension in 2011 when he still had four years left on his previous deal.

He was going to be the face of the franchise for the next decade, a wondrous talent with a charming personality.

Now the face of the franchise will be disgraced every day Braun puts on the uniform through the year 2020.

He, and Rodriguez, eventually will be nothing more than the face of Biogenesis.

Braun was caught red-handed - twice, after being nabbed in 2011 with a positive test, using drugs obtained from Biogenesis. That time he got off on a technicality.

Braun stood in front of a podium at the start of spring training in 2012 and said he had been vindicated, blasting MLB's drug testing program as "fatally flawed."

He then ripped into the Wisconsin man in charge of collecting the urine sample, Dino Laurenzi Jr., privately telling his teammates and other players that Laurenzi purposely tampered with the sample. Laurenzi kept his job but was subjected to a stream of death threats from Brewers fans.

So Braun got the benefit of the doubt from many people, until his name surfaced in the Biogenesis paperwork in January. Oh, there was another explanation for that. Braun's legal team had paid Bosch for his expertise in the original drug appeal.

This time it was hard to believe, and most of the players in his corner suddenly turned their backs.

Braun didn't care. It was MLB's fault, he insisted. The officials were just angry he beat them the first time.

Well, as it turns out, the evidence was so overpowering that Braun is sitting out the rest of the season.

Maybe Braun will cop to all of it one day, but most likely we will never know all of the dirty details.

What we do know is that MLB finally got its man, and it's just starting, with Rodriguez next up.

"We commend Ryan Braun for taking responsibility for his past actions," MLB executive vice president Rob Manfred said in a statement.

"We all agree that it is in the best interests of the game to resolve this matter. When Ryan returns, we look forward to him making positive contributions to Major League Baseball, both on and off the field."

His contribution Monday might have been to scare the daylights out of other players linked to Biogenesis.

"The good thing about this is we're cleaning the game," Yankees closer Mariano Rivera said. "That's the way it should be. This is a message for whoever tries to do this again - he's going to get caught."

It might be an awful day for Braun, his family and the Brewers, but it's a day MLB will celebrate, knowing it just sent a message that will reverberate forever.